Grady longevity

[Boat Hound]

As a general question, what would an expected life span of a Grady hull be? Assuming that you don't undertake a project and replace stringers, transoms, etc, properly maintained of course. Obviously it can be infinite, if you pour money into it.

There seems to a number of mfg's that offer life time warranty on a hull and Grady only offers 5. Being that they are a premium brand, why don't they stand behind their hull longer?

 

[Curmudgeon]

:uhm There are boaters who can destroy a hull in only a few years, some hulls seem bullet proof. My Grady is 26, and has required some system upgrades, most notably a fuel tank, but the hull is a tank! Better read the fine print for those 'lifetime' warranties ...

 

[magicalbill]

Seems to me that boats 15 years and older that are surveyed have some sort of moisture intrusion. While not the end of the hulls life, it's pretty costly and time-consuming to repair.
So I would say 15 years without doing anything, depending on the level of care given by the owner. Like Curmudgeon says, you can beat 'em up pretty quick or they can last a looong time, if maintained right and kept indoors.

I may be wrong about the 15 years. I'm using it as an estimate of boats in general.

 

[noXcuse]

Well, mine is 29 years old and has lived it's life outdoors. The hull still shines and is solid. As long as you keep the leaves out of it, and keep it cleaned and polished, and make sure any transom mounted accessories are sealed up good, I think most any hull will last a long time.

 

[Boat Hound]

So 15 years because of water intrusion. Is this less of a problem with composite boat, and where is the water typically leak from?

 

[HMBJack]

Is this less of a problem with composite boat, and where is the water typically leak from?

All composite boats are not risk free IMHO. Some of that foam and other composite material turns to dust after awhile. The stronger, heavier, boats are all built of marine plywood - like Grady and Parker to name two. Look at any big boat and you'll see they are full of plywood as well. The key is to keep the plywood dry and yes, I'd say the transom is the most likely place where water may intrude.

Historically, from what I read, Grady had some transom problems in the pre-2000 model year boats. Ever since then (early model year 2000's) I haven't read of any real moisture problem. Since the introduction of the "SeaV2" hulls and lifetime warranty on their marine plywood - these moisture issues have all but disappeared. If I were a buyer, I'd have the engine surveyed by a Certified Yamaha Mechanic and have the hull examined by a surveyor or someone who knows what to look for - like transom moisture, electrical/wiring issues, stress fractures from towing or dropping, evidence of fire or sinking, that kind of thing.

I'm on my 3rd Grady and I will say they are not perfect boats. But, in my view, they are definitely one of the very best ones out there! Good luck!

 

[Fishtales]

I'd say like a lot of questions - it depends.

If you don't take care of your boat and look for potential issues and address before they get big, I'd estimate 18-20 years.

If you:
- properly inspect/maintain your boat
- inspect and refresh caulk areas as needed
- don't excessively drill into wood core areas and when you do use proper mounting and sealing techniques as well as materials and processes
- inspect and replace drain tubes, aluminum cap on transom (why this is still screwed versus a bonded piece or better yet glassed is my biggest issue)
I think you can get 30+ years out of a hull before rebuilding or scrapping.

 

[onoahimahi]

I think a lot also depends on location of the boat as well - i.e, northern high-latitude boat vs a boat from the South. I recently got to experience this firsthand as I replaced my 1990 Wellcraft Sportsman 250 with a 1994 Grady White Sailfish. The Massachusetts-based Wellcraft, which spent half its life under shrinkwrap, was visibly in much better condition than the Grady. Until recently I had both the boats in my backyard and was able to use the poorer condition of the Grady to help sell the Wellcraft...! I would offer a Grady tour to prospective buyers after they finished looking over the Wellcraft which they would eagerly accept. Then I showed all the areas where the Wellcraft was in better condition - I had the Wellcraft sold within two weeks at full asking price... 8)

I started with the plastic thru-hulls. On the Grady they were disintegrating and I could scrap off bits with my fingernail. Then I would rub my hand on the hull to show how bad the oxidation was - my hand would be covered in white chalking dust. The Wellcraft, with last-years wax job still had a nice shine to it. Then we would climb aboard and I would point out all the stress crack on the deck. There are lots of them - maybe 10 times more then the Wellcraft. Then I would point out some areas on the Grady where the gelcoat has failed. These are round patches a few inches in diameter where the gelcoat has badly crackled and fiberglass appears to be visible underneath - there are about a half dozen of these patches on horizontal surfaces like on top of the gunnels, bait tank cover, etc. There are no gelcoat failures on the Wellcraft. Then I would show them the cabin side windows which are in bad condition and all track material is shot - the Wellcraft windows, after 23 years, still essentially look like new.

When I was considering the condition of these two boats I convinced myself that 1-year of hull age on a Southern boat may be equal to two years of age in the North. At least in my case, where hull maintenance did not appear to be high on the priority list of my Grady's previous owner.

The transom on the Grady was replaced in 2006 when it was repowered with the E-TECs. This boat was lift-kept but I believe the transom rotted from the top down due to rainwater leaking into the core. The Wellcraft transom is original and still appears solid. I don't know how latitude affects transom life - once water gets in, the freeze/thaw cycles present in the North could speed delamination.

With the Wellcraft gone, I was able to focus on the Grady - the gelcoat below the rub rail "popped" again" after multiple rubbing compound sessions... and all the above-water thru hulls are now stainless... 8) Next year I'll put chrome-over-bronze fittings at the waterline and figure out what to do about the windows and failed gelcoat sections - but now is the time to go fishing...!

 

[onoahimahi]

(deleted double post)

 

[magicalbill]

I want to kind of qualify what I posted earlier.

When I said 15 years average before trouble hits, this comes from many reports I've read about from boats everywhere. I am speaking in generalities, not specific ownership experiences.
While many experience problems from mid-90's boats on back, there will always be concientious owners who beat the odds.

 

[onoahimahi]

Better read the fine print for those 'lifetime' warranties ...

This has got me curious so I went looking for some "fine print" using Google. The first hits were not the manufacturer I expected.

LIMITED Lifetime Structural Hull Warranty to Original Owner:

Bayliner will repair or replace, at its sole discretion, any Structural Hull Defect, as defined below, which is reported during the period of ownership of the original retail owner. For purposed of this limited warranty: 1) The "HULL" shall mean the single fiberglass molded shell and integral structure within that shell, including stringers, floorboards and related structural reinforcements, all of which are below the hull flange; and 2) a "Structural Hull Defect" shall mean a substantial defect in materials or workmanship in the Boat's Hull which causes the Boat to be unfit or unsafe for general use as a pleasure craft under normal operating conditions.

If sold to another owner the second owner gets Ten years of the above warranty from the retail purchase of the boat.


Full text can be found here:
http://bayliner.frogsplashllc.com/bayli ... e_2013.pdf

I think manufacturers can gamble a bit here knowing that the percentage of new-boat buyers who still own the same boat after 10 years is not very high. People up-size, down-size, get transferred, etc. This Sailfish is my seventh boat and on average I've owned each of my boats for 5 years.

 

[alfa1023]

Read your thread on THT and must say I am really surprised by GW's response (or lack thereof) as this clearly sounds like they screwed up when they built your boat. At least I hope this isn't something that exists in all our boats that we are just not aware of (yet).

I am curious - where there any indications that you might have had this issue - for instance, did the boat seem to ride heavy on that side when on plane?

Please keep us appraised of how this plays out. I sure hope this somehow works out for you in the end.

 

[Boat Hound]

I'm not looking to start bashing GW, on this - at least yet. In this case I have paid for now 2 "industry experts" opinions, and at one legal opinion. I would expect any organization to push back at least one on something like this. This seems pretty clear cut.

As far as this being a one off, the further I start digging not the case. It could be a 3-4 off, but I know it is not a one off. I would highly recommend that at the minimum have a moisture meter put to your hull the next time you pull, and perhaps even consider re-bedding through hulls. It is probably not a bad practice with any brand, regardless of age.

Every mfg screws up, Grady is no different. It is what is done after the fact that makes the difference. The ball is in their court.